My All Time Top 10 Tips for Organizing!

Good Morning, everyone!  As promised, today I have my top ten ideas for organizing.  Granted, these are not all the ones I use, but they can definitely get you started!

1. Clean Sweep Twice a Year.  Back in the day, there was a TV show on TLC called Clean Sweep.  It was the start of an entire series of shows, like Clean House on the Style channel.  The people on those shows take everything out of their house and sort through it, making piles of "keep, sell, and trash."  Now, I'm not recommending you empty your entire apartment or dorm, but think about the areas where junk gets built up: closet, desk...  Clean it out.  If you're worried about getting rid of something important, put everything in a trash/donate bag and store it.  In a couple weeks, if you haven't opened the bag, it's time to get rid of it.
   
2. Think About Your Personal Needs.  Every household is different.  For example, I don't have a mud room or even really an entry space in my apartment.  So... I don't need some intricate theory as to how to organize one.  I also don't have kids, so I don't need a toy box.  Make sense?  Think about it before you get started.
   
3. Use All Your Space (even the walls).  No furniture that I've seen goes anywhere but the floor.  If there is anything out there, please let me know.  Use hooks, shelves, and anything else your creative mind can think of.  Get the stuff off the floor; you do need to walk.
   
4. Understand Your Personal Trouble Zones.  Where do you spend most of your time?  Where is there the most foot traffic?  For me, it's my living room and desk areas.  Those are the places that will gather the most clutter and are the places where I lose the most stuff.  These are areas that you should spend the most time concentrating on.  If you focus on these, you shouldn't get too overwhelmed with organizing a whole house.
   
5. Use An Outbox.  After you figure out your trouble zones, use an outbox.  It can be a decorative basket, old Amazon shipping box, or anything else that can store things.  The idea of the outbox is to throw everything in there that doesn't belong: textbooks in the kitchen, plates in the living room, etc.  Just grab the Outbox when leaving the room sometimes and put everything away.  Easy as addition to a math major.
   
6. Divide and Conquer.  This idea came from All*You Magazine.  It was something I'd already intuitively done, but the magazine did a great job of explaining it.  Think about all the office supplies or toiletries you have scattered about in a drawer.  Remember the drawer from yesterday's post?  Now add in old Altoid tins or something else to put all those rubber bands and Q-Tips in.  Voila!  You now have a clean drawer where you can find everything at your fingertips!
   
7. Know the 20% Rule.  On average, we only use about 20% of what we have on hand.  For example, I have 10 pens sitting in my desk right now.   I only use my favorite 2.  Just something to think about...
   
8. Write it Down.  Most people tend to make grocery lists... why?  Because it keeps them organized when they go to the store.  The same rule applies to everything else - that's why there are so many different types of planners in Borders and Barnes and Noble this time of year.  Invest in one.  Make a To-Do List.  You'll be surprised how much else you can get done.
   
9. Nothing Should be Homeless.  My roommate is constantly losing her keys.  We have a big sign right above the handle to the front door that says "SHANNON!  KEYS?!"  It was out of hand - in one week she called me 8 times to let her into the apartment because she had forgotten/lost her keys.  We now have a bowl on a table by the front door.  She drops her keys in there when she walks in.  Similarly, I have a specific shelf for textbooks.  Give everything a home and it is hard to lose them.
   
10. Utilize Specific Spaces.  Like Number 9, use specific spaces.  Here are mine: Couch for TV watching or reading for pleasure.  Desk for work.  Kitchen table for eating.  I rarely let myself cross the boundaries, partially because humans like to compartmentalize and partially because it helps me get into a certain mindset.  When I sit down at my desk, I know I have to work.  I get stuff done quicker.  Also, I tend to stay away from bringing contraband to its wrong area.

There are my Top 10!  They might not all work for you, but at least they'll get you starting to think about 'em.  If you want more ideas, check out HGTV's Organizing Website, they have their own Top Ten and so many more ideas, it's kind of ridiculous...

Organize Your Desk!



Organize Your Closet!